I would have to agree with Sheriff Asbell in the fact that I don’t believe there is a crime wave. Are there areas that have seen a higher crime rate over the span, yes but nationally and over all the crime has gone down or stayed at a fairly level percentage. The fact that violent crimes between 1990 – 2015 dropped by 37 percent and the over-all amount of violent crime went down 51 percent shows and supports this idea. Also, helping support Asbells article is that murders over the same time frame have gone down by 37 percent in absolute terms, and the exact rate being half of what it was just 25 years ago. Although the FBIs UCR shows that Peroia with a higher violent crime rate from 2015 to 2016 but drops in property crime. This is not the best but it is better than Chicago and Rockford. They used an example of Peoria having 325 violent crimes per 100,000 persons compared to 503 per 100,000 for Chicago and 836 per 100,000 in Rockford. Asbell goes on to say that Peoria north of Ill. Route 40 and past Route 150 are not immune to crime and that these areas should be looked at in an absence of crime. Looking at the county as a whole data reports show that from 2015 through the begging of 2017 property crimes and crimes against people fluctuating, in both former burglary of cars and of residences. Along with this Theft and arson are also down from 2016. Overall, Asbells idea that there is no crime wave is correct. And I believe that he is taking the right approach as to trying to help detainees and to try and figure out the causes verses trying to stop crime in general.
I support this view. So many people are hyped over a fictitious crime wave. We are sending people's fear of crime high as the roof and messing with qualities of life issues - like being afraid to go to a supermarket at 1am because we fear boogie men/ladies.....Justsaying345
I do agree with you and Sheriff Asbell and believe a crime wave doesn't exist. All this is doing is making people scared if crimes go up in an area. All that can really mean if crime goes up in a certain area is more patrolling. I also agree that it is better to help detainees to help figure out causes instead of stopping it in general and making it harder. It also says most crimes have gone down overall in the state which shouldn't make people freak out as much crime being bad. those main crimes are car burgleries, residential, arson, and theft which use to be the higher rated crimes in the country. Cavsfan123
I agree when we look at the bigger picture of more than just ten years we can see that the number of violent crimes is decreasing, but most of the people who say that crime is on the rise are only looking from year to year and not ten years ago. I think that Sheriff Asbell is correct also because he is trying to get the detainees back out into society so they can get normal jobs and pay their own bills, but some prisons just want the prisoners to come back, so that the government can give them money. Illini456
I am so happy that they got the program going to help inmates. Many jails do not do so, in fact as Dr. White said it class the other day only a few hundred have their special program that Peoria County jail does; including doctors of multiple different kinds, teachers etc. So we may have crime in our city like all cities do of course, but I agree with you that it has not increased and the law enforcement in Peoria is doing a wonderful job. Rugby_456
I agree with everything you said, i really wanted to put some of the numbers in my post but i was not really sure how to word them with out quoting it. The way you worded the numbers in your post was really well written. I am anxious to see what really happens with Asbell as our new sheriff Thunder456
I also have to agree that I am glad that they have instilled programs to aid inmates. It seems too often that we throw people in jail and make no attempt to help them. I understand that not all criminals can be helped, but the cost to help one inmate versus housing one inmate varies greatly. I do wish that the number of violent crimes would drop more than it has, but any crime decrease is better than none. I would say I don't believe Peoria has gotten worse, I believe the hype of a "crime wave" is nothing more than a way to get people to become more vigilant. I believe that Asbell is headed toward the right path, and he's the person that this county has needed. LowAndSlow456
After reading the article and seeing what Sheriff Asbell had to say I agree that we do not have a crime rate; not just in the Peoria area but also nationally. If we look at the UCR we can see that there may be certain areas that have rose from the past years, but those crimes have not rose as much as some of the others have fallen. The crimes that have rose over the years are mostly property crimes, which is alot better than having murder, rape or robbery rates rising every year. When Sheriff Asbell says his jail has dropped the average number of detainees in seven years I agree that it would have to be because of the programs that we are starting to teach to our youth and we are able to help certain people before they commit the crime. I agree with Asbell also when he says that crime has a lot to do with poverty; if we do not have rehab programs in prison or we do not offer the prisoners a chance to possibly get their GED then when they get released from prison and are unable to find a job that actually pays well most of them will turn back to a life of crime and just go back into the system, because they know it is better in jail than out on the streets. People also think that we have a crime wave because of drugs, but that is not something that is really on the high rise. If we do start to arrest more people for drugs, then we need to start setting up more programs in prison for drug rehab, so when they get released they do not have the itch to go back out and keep buying and doing. Illini456
I have to agree with you on this. The fact that we have started applying better programs to help educate our youth and our inmates has made an impact on this as well. not only has it helped with lowering the return of paroles but it also helps crime rates as well. It does this because if the people that are getting out are not returning to crime then less crime accures. I believe as long as we continue to improve and work with inmates and youth criminals that our chances of bettering our communities will continue to keep raising. The fact that we are educating them also impacts the crime rates because if the inmates that are released and able to go into the work force they are not returning back to crime to provide for themselves or their families and this helps lower the rates. Country456
Some of the crime rate has dropped just due to the fact we now have certain programs to help inmates. Now in some prisons inmates can actually get their GED inside of prison and they are able to complete many other programs which makes it more likely that they will not go back to jail compared to those who do not have these programs offered to them. We all see and know that these programs help keeps crime rate down and also helps inmates become a productive member of society so I believe we should place more programs in prisons and jails. Latte456
Your statements about UCR crime statistics in Peoria County aren't entirely correct. Property crimes have actually decreased in frequency from 2014 to 2015, with the exception of Arson, and violent crimes have actually increased. Criminal Homicide has increased 100%, Rape is up 14.28%, Robbery is also up 14.28%, and Aggravated Battery/Assault is up 33.33%. As for property crimes: Burglary is down 16.32%, Theft is down 0.77%, Motor Vehicle Theft is down 3.03%, and Arson is the exception with a 100% increase. The reason I don't like using the UCR for determining crime rates in different areas is that it's too broad. Sure, Peoria County had an increase of 100% in criminal homicide. That sounds like a lot. The actual statistic, though, is an increase from zero criminal homicides in 2014 to one criminal homicide in 2015. The trends are similar for the other categories. The increases or decreases are marginal at best, but anyone can make it sound like Peoria has a problem with murdering arsonists by saying that there was a 100% increase in both categories over a period of one year. The UCR doesn't actually elaborate on the different crimes being committed. We don't know if that one criminal homicide was First Degree Murder, Involuntary Manslaughter, or Drug-Induced Homicide. All of which have vastly different mens rea and actus reus.
I do agree that mostly property crimes are the one that are rising which is a lot better than crimes against person (murder, rape, assault) over the years. I believe that the programs that they have in Peoria County Jails to teach the youths and educate the detainees are working for a reason that the number of average detainees in jail in the past seven years has dropped. I think that if we continue programs like this to get them be a better citizen, we will see that crime rates will not go up like before and seeing them not to commit the same crime when they got released. -M.Scott456
I do believe that television, newspapers, social media make a huge impact on people's beliefs and opinions on things that go on in this world; especially others opinions and statements on law enforcement. Since this world is so insane, people blow things out of the water and sometimes make assumptions in what happens in certain situations. When people overhear or see what other assumptions are, they may belief that those are actual facts before looking more into things. People in today's society love to make assumptions, gossip on what happens around us and act as if they know it all. Unfortunately because of that, law enforcement get a rep that they do not do their job correctly, and stereotypes are made worse on citizens around town. And it's not just in Peoria, but nationally. Crime is not increasing, but decreasing all over America. Situations may seem terrible. For an example, police that kill a young black, man. And that is all over the media. Or active shooter, we come to believe that our society is going to crap. In many ways it is, but our crime rate is not apart of that; especially violent crime. One example to help prove my point, one year it might say a city's crime is 30% crime. Then the next year it doubles. Because of those statistics, they think the city has gone mad and it is time to buckle down and move. But that just isn't always the case. Say there was a drunken husband/father, and he decides to kill his family of 5 one night. That is going to increase statistics tremendously, especially in a small town. It may be easy to fall into gossip, and others beleifs. But it is important to look into things before believing anything. Crime rate has decreased, for many reasons. Rugby_456
This is similar to what I was thinking about how people get way to caught up in the excitement of crime. It's a hot topic and it affects everybody and so when something big happens like a shooting everyone blows it out of proportion. Now something like a mass shooting should not be taken lightly but just because some guy lost is mind and went off killing people does not mean the whole nation is going to crap and in 5 years it's gonna be like Mad Max. I agree with you that today a lot of people like to think they know it all without putting in the research and it's funny how if everyone could just spend a couple hours reading some articles on crime rates they would understand things aren't as bad as the media would make it seem. -CoffeeAddict456
After having used the UCR, NIBRS, and the NCVS as references for my posts and upcoming papers, I'm becoming increasingly wary of the UCR. According to the Crime in Illinois 2015 publication by the Illinois State Police (which is the data which the UCR receives from Illinois), Peoria County had an increase in criminal homicide of 100%. Having heard that, you'd think Peoria has a major problem with criminal homicide. If you actually read the numbers, though, you'll find that in 2014, Peoria County had no homicides, and in 2015 we had one. We also had a 100% increase in Arson, but the statistics show that the difference is only of 4 offenses. The reason for my distrust of the UCR, then, is caused by it being too broad. We don't know if that homicide was First Degree Murder of Involuntary Manslaughter. We don't know if it was gang-related or a result of prolonged domestic abuse or if Anthony Hopkins is off his rocker and really thinks that he's Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. The NIBRS elaborates a bit more on crime, but we really need a properly comprehensive database on crime in order to fully understand the crime situations in different communities. Crime rates are down substantially compared to the 1980s and 1990s. The difference, though, is that unlike the 80s and 90s, media is much faster to learn of events and much faster to report on them. Media sources also have much more manpower and utilities at their disposal. Take the recent bombings in London, for example. The BBC started reporting on them within fifteen minutes of the events taking place. I don't think the problem is with the crime rates increasing, they aren't. I think the problem is with media reporting more frequently, more rapidly, and more in-depth on criminal occurrences.
What stood out to me in this article was Asbell says “It can become a crime of survival” of course i looked at this statement and had no clue what he meant. But as i continued to read I realized that he was completely correct. He says that if no one can find a decent paying job that they will resort back to stealing things and selling drugs to make fast cash. He says they have a program called “Job partnership” it teaches them basics such as how to apply for jobs, how to dress and how to be dependent on. This is a great program for offenders and youth because it helps them learn things that maybe they were never taught. It also lets them know that there are people out there who wants to help them become productive member of society. Another thing that stood out for me was they mental health illness situation. I think it is great that the acknowledge that many people who come into jail do have a mental illness or even a drug addiction and needs the help. I feel as if we do not help these illness or drug addiction they will be right back in jail because they cannot get over these addictions by themselves. I feel as though we should be doing more in order to help these people out, because most of the time these people do want to be productive members of society they just don't have the tools or the support that they need. Latte456
I also agree with Mr. Asbell because it is common, also if people do not feel accepted by the society, or workforce it is hard for them to find jobs. I think he is trying to realize the issues of crime from the criminal's point of view. Someone always told me if you want to catch a criminal you must think like a criminal. I think in a way this is what Mr. Asbell is doing but he is using this same concept in a different aspect, to indeed stop crime which is very clever and I applaud him for his efforts. McBrightyalife456
I agree that most offenders deserve a second chance at trying to get a job and become an every day citizen but unfortunately they don't get treated as such and they give up because they think that no one would want to hire a criminal so they continue their criminal behavior just as you stated. More resources need to be available for them to help them from re-offending and the crime rates would decrease. -PizzaLover456
I also agree that most offenders and I've pretty much said that in every response we've had to do. I believe this because you never truly understand why someone is incarcerated and what led them to that point which is sad especially when there are prisons that do not even offer rehabilitation. But the outcome does not come out as that because a lot of people do not like or enjoy ex criminals and things like that for business which makes sense but just is not fair. swaggyy456
I agree with Sheriff Asbell, I don't think there is a crime wave. Just look at the UCR,you can see can see that there are be some areas that have rose from the past years, but those crimes have not drastically risen as much as others have lowered. Sheriff Asbell says his jail has dropped the average number of detainees in seven years, and because we have certain programs that teach inmates to correct their behavior and allow them to get a GED I would have to agree because it you put the resources in their hands to do better they will become better people.
I agree that crime rate has decreased in Peoria although it doesn't seem like it because the media plays a different role in said situations. I think more resources need to be made available for offenders and even people who are leaving in poverty because they don't always have access to such things like most people do. Offering more help is a good way to decrease crime rates and to help offenders to not become a repeat offender. -PizzaLover456
I would have to say after reading this article I think that sheriff Asbell is a probably one of the best sheriffs for Peoria he saw that in 2010 our average of detainees was at 550 now they are at about 350. The main factors he says to this is the increase of officers into the force so in other words he has increased our police officer count while lowering our amount of crimes in Peoria. I would also have to agree with Asbell when he says that jail population is a very good indicator of crime in the area because if our jails are full that means there is lots of crime and if they are empty there is either no crime or no one being caught so it is kind of a yes and no sort of thing yes it can tell the crime rate or how much crime there but it is not always 100% accurate there could be just less officers or they are in the wrong areas of the city they are looking where there is no crime compared to where it is full of crime in a city. I would also have to agree with John Gramlich when he said population and economic conditions can factor or influence the crime rates because if people are poor they are more likely to steal to make money or try to sell the stuff for potential drugs and the population factor could just cause all kinds of issues people fighting over land or people fighting because there are too many people in the area. So all of the crime rates that are different in areas all just kind of depend on so many different factors it’s hard to say what is causing all the crime in cities. CarlBaconWho456
I definitely agree that Asbell may be one of the best sheriffs for Peoria County. You can tell that he is not in his position for the money, he has to have a passion for Criminal Justice to say the things he did. I think a lot of the times people in power are so stuck in their own ways, and how life should be lived that they don't see things from others point of view. You can tell that Mr. Asbell realizes that everyone is not given a fair chance to succeed in society because he working to improve that issue. I think he will succeed in his approach in reform and hope nothing for the but the best in his efforts to do so ! McBrightyalife456
After reading the article and a lot of responses I do believe Asbell is a great sheriff for Peoria County. Not being from here I did not have any knowledge of what was truly happening in this city years before but after living here I understand what Asbell means when he states in the article that most of Peoria crimes are due to poverty. I also believe he is working towards the issue to give everyone fairness and I think it is working in his favor since the crime rate has gone down to 37 percent. swaggyy456
I have learned a lot from this article, but even more from the responses of my classmates. I do believe that Sheriff Asbell is the type of sheriff that Peoria County needs. Asbell really won me over when the article talked about how he wants to use money. He realizes that all people arrested in Peoria are not just criminals. He knows that poverty is affecting crime. He knows that locking everybody up won't work, so instead he insists on rehabilitating people. I also believe that crime can decrease more if Asbell continues what he is doing. LowAndSlow456
I do agree that Sheriff Asbell is one of the best sheriffs for Peoria County. He has the passion and care for the community and to the detainees. The decrease of average detainees from 550 in 2010 to 350 detainees now means that the Peoria County Jail is doing something that is making at impact not just to the number of detainees but also to the county and citizens. I believe that the decrease in jail population is because of the programs that they have which is working. I’d like to see more of Sheriff Asbell upcoming program and idea for Peoria County Jail. -M.Scott456
The new sheriff Brian Asbell seems as if he is a great person, and definitely cares about whether the crime rate is increasing or decreasing. You can tell because after serving as a sheriff for five weeks the Peoria County Board committee picked him to complete Mike McCoy's term. I think his formidable tests to test his leadership will be very challenging but with his attitude, it shouldn't be impossible. He will be faced with budgeting, community relations, serving the mental health needs of the jail population, as well as coping with crime. It's a good look on the county jail that the violent crimes have declined by 37 percent, and that murder and property crimes have decreased as well. I think that 60 percent to 84 percent of people believe crime is higher than a year ago because the media makes things bigger than what it actually is, and its probably because a lot of crimes go unreported as well. Asbell states that there is no crime wave in Peoria and I agree, as he stated most crimes are still tied to poverty, and drugs. I think Peoria is way better off then other cities and even states. The article provide proof of this by stating Peoria has about 325 violent crimes per 100,000 city residents, compared to 503 per 100,000 in Chicago and 836 peer 100,000 in Rockford. It also demonstrates this by the size of the prison population. In 2010 the jail's average was 550 detainees, now it is 350. He believes factors such as fewer officers, prosecutors initiative, and programs like "Don't Shoot contributed to these numbers. I think it is so good that Asbell is looking to work with faith based groups, job partnerships, character education, and employment programs. It may not be an easy task for him to pull off but I think all prisons across America should follow his example. He is willing to do whatever it takes whether it be going to schools,or talking to parents. He is going that extra mile which needs to be done by someone who holds so much authority. I love his approach on focusing on the causes, preventing crime, and treating detainees. I can not wait to see what he has in store for Peoria County and wish him the best of luck in his efforts to do so. McBrightyalife456
I agree with your statement completely. Even though I'm not really familiar with the Peoria area because I'm from Chicago but Sheriff Asbell is doing a great job with his determine attitude to make the city of Peoria better. I also agree with you about the things he's going to face but of course he can do it with the attitude he has. Another thing that stood out and you stated was how Asbell is looking forward to have job partnerships and other forms of help and programs for people in need. Overall Brain Asbell will be a great fit for the city of Peoria. Savage456
I think as crime increases one year and decreases the next, people will always worry about crime. I think as McMcoy left and Asbell took over it was probably a great idea. Asbell is in his position for many reasons and clearly McMcoy and the three man Peoria County committee board thought highly of him to put him in his position as he left. When I normally think of Asbell in his positon I just think of they jail so I found it interesting that he is now in charge of 175 employees and additional contract workers plus volunteers that cover the in's and out's of the county. It was nice to know that Asbell exceeds in leadership, budgeting, community relations, and serving the mental health needs in jail populations along with helping cope with the crimes that are out there. Another thing I found interesting that I did not know was that Asbell worked his way up to his position as he was once a corrections officer, jail sergeant, patrol, and detective at one point. When Asbell quotes "in Peoria, crime has a lot to do with poverty," I agree with him. But how he explained it made it seem okay with saying that as people would take that differently from hearing it. He explains that they are working with a faith based group with the detainees that never got to have that kind of help. I like that it helps them and changes their self-worth so they can change and make a difference. I think Asbell will continue up his great work and make changes forever as he has been doing. unknownzeeha456
I agree with sheriff Asbell that there really is not a crime rate. Crime is all over the united states. As it says in the article that crime rates have decreased over the years. so, this tells you that there really is not a specific time that crime is higher or not. I think that it is a great idea that sheriff Asbell is talking about having the ex-inmates work in different types of programs so that these people do not end up where they were, committing crimes hoping that they will not get caught. As Asbell says that a lot of the crimes in Peoria are poverty crimes, I would say that I agree with him, some of these people are stealing food and other things just so that they can provide for their families. For Asbell to consider these different programs for these folks to work in I feel is a very good decision. By communication with these individual’s businesses and talking to the prisoners like they are a real human being, I feel is going to lift these people up. By doing this it is making them less likely to commit more crimes, so that they can support their families. Peoria is known to be the biggest mental-health provider around here. “McCoy noted that 90 percent of jail detains needed addiction mental-health treatment, and Asbell helped get the Peoria County Jails medical unit accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in 2012.” They are currently working on an application to help discharge planning. Sheriff Asbell says “I’m looking at the county across the board,” he says. “I don’t see any spike in crime.” I really enjoyed reading this article, and learning the things that sheriff Asbell is planning to do with Peoria. -Thunder456
After reading this article, that’s good to know that crime rates in Peoria have significantly decreased. It seems as if the property and murder crime rates have decreased although people would argue differently about the crime rates decreasing, some would say they have increased but looking at the statistics shown, only about 325 crimes are violent per 100,000 residents. That isn’t that bad, although we can always shoot for better. Most of the crimes that are committed seem to be correlated with poverty, that seems to play a huge role in these offenders and repeat offenders. Offenders need to be offered more help and I think that is a main issue that needs to be focused on. It seems like more and more people suffer from drug addictions and mental health issues and can’t seem to get the proper help that they need. Rehabilitations need to be more of an option for offenders to prevent them becoming a repeat offender. I don’t think these issues are taken very seriously as they should be. If more sources were offered to low class people and the people in prison/jail then I’m sure there would be a decrease in criminal activity. I think Sheriff Asbell is someone that this community needs because it seems to really care and understand what offenders need and ways to decrease or prevent potential crime from happening. I like that he is very engaged with the community and the surrounding areas. -PizzaLover456 After reading this article, that’s good to know that crime rates in Peoria have significantly decreased. It seems as if the property and murder crime rates have decreased although people would argue differently about the crime rates decreasing, some would say they have increased but looking at the statistics shown, only about 325 crimes are violent per 100,000 residents. That isn’t that bad, although we can always shoot for better. Most of the crimes that are committed seem to be correlated with poverty, that seems to play a huge role in these offenders and repeat offenders. Offenders need to be offered more help and I think that is a main issue that needs to be focused on. It seems like more and more people suffer from drug addictions and mental health issues and can’t seem to get the proper help that they need. Rehabilitation needs to be more of an option for offenders to prevent them becoming a repeat offender. I don’t think these issues are taken very seriously as they should be. If more sources were offered to low class people and the people in prison/jail then I’m sure there would be a decrease in criminal activity. I think Sheriff Asbell is someone that this community needs because it seems to really care and understand what offenders need and ways to decrease or prevent potential crime from happening. I like that he is very engaged with the community and the surrounding areas. -PizzaLover456
After reading this article I agree with sheriff Asbell. I also think that the board committee made a great decision by picking him. As stated in the article I like the fact that sheriff Asbell has several formidable tests to his leadership such as: budgeting, community relations, serving the mental-health needs of the jail population and coping with crime. I think these are all good things even though his employees are like arresting some people for crimes but he still trying to help them with mental-health issues while in jail. Another thing that’s good is he’s trying to budget to help out the city and community. A good thing that stood out is that violent crime had decreased by 37 percent and the murder and property jails decreased also. Furthermore Asbell made a valid point when he stated”there’s no crime wave in Peoria but most crimes are still tied to poverty and drugs. This shows you that whatever Asbell is doing to help prevent serious crimes is working and that gives a good look on him and why he deserves the position he has now. Even though the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Report has statistics for the City of Peoria that show an increase in violent crime from 2015 to 2016 but declines in property crime. Even though they had an increase Peoria numbers were still better than Chicago and Rockford. Lastly, I agree with Asbell when he says,” In Peoria crime has a lot to do with poverty” and what stood out the most was when he said “It can become a crime of survival.” What I got from that saying as I continue to read was basically he wanted to him the ones who committing crimes due to the fact of that “job partnership” that teaches basics. To conclude, I completely agree with sheriff Asbell with this article. I’m not from the Peoria area but I’m glad they have some like Brain Asbell to take control and and have a positive leadership to the community. savage456
After reading the article on what Sheriff Ashbell had to say I agree with him. He in my opinion portrayed himself as a good, kind-hearted person and I respect that therefore I believe the committee made a good decision for the community by choosing him. While reading the article one thing that truly stood out to me was the fact that he has so many formidable tests that proves he is a good person for this job which include his many community relations, smart budgeting that helps the community, and his want to help with mental disease in jails to help with the rates and wanting to help people cope with crime these different actions just prove how great his leadership skills are and how much he wants to step up to the plate. Living in Springfield you do not see a lot of violent crimes but this summer we had more than normal and they were crimes dealing with people close to my age and like I said living in Springfield this is abnormal which means the entire city did not know how to react even one of the first crimes that happened this summer the SWAT team was immediately called because the city was not used to it but seeing how Sheriff Ashbell already helped decrease crime by 37 percent shows that everyone needs to take the same leadership skills as him in order to help keep down crime rates and to keep a lot more people safe. I understood Sheriff Ashbell when he said a lot of crimes are related to drugs and poverty which I believe is one of the main problems across the nation. But I agree with him when he says a lot of the crime in Peoria has to deal with poverty because just living here I remember first saying how I did not see many nice neighborhoods like I do in Springfield and it honestly was a new thing for me. swaggyy456
I agree with you on how he portrayed himself. He seems to be dedicated to his job, love what he does, and wants to make a difference. I also like how you an example of living in Springfield, it was really an eye opener for me to see that not all cities have people believing that crime was happening everywhere. I do believe that drug and poverty crimes are the main problem across the nation as well. If you are a part of a low income family, growing up in a bad neighborhood, you turn to drugs. -Bears456
After reading this article, I believe that I agree with Sheriff Asbell. I don't think there has been an increase in crime or a larger crime wave. As stated, crime has decreased 37% between 1990 and 2015. Murder alone was said to be down around half of what it used to be. Although I am not the most informed about the matters, I did find a quote by Asbell to be incredibly accurate. Asbell states that crime has a lot to do with poverty. It seems property crime and burglary are a factor as people are committing crimes to stay alive. As he states, it's a crime of survival. I have to applaud the Sheriff for making the moves that are actually needed. Detainees and Parolees need rehabilitation. If we don't help the people who are committing crimes just to live, then we are forcing the recidivism rates to increase. I think that Asbell is on the right track, as the UCR is not what we need to be looking at, we need to focus on what is happening in Peoria. LowAndSlow456
After reading this article I would have to agree with Sheriff Asbell that there is not a crime wave. I think he is the best thing that could have happened for Peoria County. The crime rate has gone down and I believe it is from them outing programs inside of jails, prisons, and even the juvenile delinquency centers. The programs help them better themselves, so when they are finally released they will not go back to “what they know.” These programs could benefit them in more ways than one. Just think about all the juveniles behind bars. If they have a long sentence, look at how much schooling they are missing out on. It is a lot and you miss out on learning basic stuff that will help you in society once you get out. All because crime went up from one year to the next does not mean there is a lot of crime happening in that area. 37 percent of violent crimes has decreased in 1990 to 2015. Murder rates are exactly half of what they used to be. People tend to think that since the jails and prisons are full of inmates that crime is happening all the time, but people forget that you have some locked away 10-20 years for marijuana which is about to be legal in all states. To me, that is not a crime. McCoy noted for years that 90 percent of prisoners needed addiction or mental health treatment. What gets me is that if you not that 90 percent of them need help, why aren’t you doing anything to get them the help they need? -Bears456
After reading this article Sheriff Asbell was the right pick fro the job you can really see he cares and has a heart for his job. He has made an impact in communities and fundraising for all around peoria. With him being a such a good person it really helps cops and guard get a job. I don't believe there was been an increase in crime because the statistics show that 37% has decreased from 1990 to 2015 so its proven to be a decrease in the crime wave. Stated in the article peoria has the most poverty crimes like break in's, robberies and etc. Inmates need help and sheriff Asbell has agreed saying that they need to have rehabilitation so they don't have the same cycle and come back to jail. This is a very good article to read and to see what sheriff Asbell is going to do for the community of peoria and how he's going to make it a better place. With Asbell in charge the city of peoria is in good hands. but Asbell is going to change peoria for the good and thats the sheriff that we need in peoria. Shak456
I agree with the sheriff that crime has steadily been dropping and I bet everyone would to if they would stop listening to the media and just look at some statistics. I have been a criminal justice major for almost a year and a half now and every single time I bring up crime rates and that they have been dropping since the 60's everyone is always surprised and some don't believe me. Part of it I think is that people get caught up in the excitement of crime and the thought that it's just rampant throughout the country but I have no evidence to back that up just a personal opinion. I think it's great that Peoria is on of the biggest mental health providers and that this sheriff understand that improving the mental health of inmates can lead to lower recidivism rates. -CoffeeAddict456
After reading this article, I agree and believe with what Sheriff Asbell said that despite some statistics, there is no crime wave in Peoria and across the county. FBI’s UCR statistics compared City of Peoria with 325 violent crimes per 100,000 city residents, to 503 per 100,000 in Chicago and 836 per 100,000 in Rockford, which is not an ideal number but better than the two. True that there is an area that is not immune from crime like north in ill. Route 40 and west on U.S Route 150 which should be looked at in the absence of crime. Mostly over the years, the crime that goes up in Peoria was property crimes, which is better than crimes against people like murder, rape, and assault. A lot of those crimes have a lot to do with poverty which turns to be a crime survival because they can’t find a job, especially those ex-offenders who go back to do what they do. According to Asbell, in 2010 the jail had an average of 550 detainees and is now down to about 350, which I think is good. This means fewer people doing crimes. I think the reason that the number of detainees is down is because of the programs they are introducing inside the Peoria County Jail. A program like Jobs Partnership that trains and teaches detainees how to apply for a job, how to dress and be dependable. A program that provides mental-health providers to those people who need help. What I like about this program is that the Peoria County Jail’s medical unit is accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care which requires not minimal but best practices. I believe the idea of treating the detainees and trying to focus on the causes rather than stopping the crime, in general, was the right approach. But despite such efforts and reassurance, some will be concerned. -M.Scott456
I tend to agree with sheriff Asbell throughout this article. He made a statement that stood out to me. He said “much of that concern is an example of belief versus reality.” Which I think is really true many people believe that crime is high right now and that is their belief. In reality violent crimes have decreased by 37 percent, and murders are also down 37 percent. I agree with sheriff Asbell when he says that there is not a crime wave in Peoria and that most of the crimes that are committed are tied to poverty and drugs. That makes perfect sense when you start to think of it that way. The uniform crime reported that Peoria has 325 violent crimes per 100,000 people which is a lot lower than other major cities in Illinois which to me is a good indication that crime is decreasing in the area. The information that stood out to me the most from this article was the amount of detainees that the jail had. According to the article in 2010 the jail had around 550 detainees and now the jail has around 200 less with 350 detainees. Sheriff Asbell credits programs put in place such as “Don't shoot” and others to why the numbers have seen a decrease. I agree with sheriff Asbell when we says that jail population is a good indicator of crime in the area. If you think about it if you have low jail population than that should prove that less crimes are being committed. Though the jail population is just one factor in measuring crime and the rate sat which it is being committed, but does provide helpful information. I agree with sheriff Asbell again that drugs as well as addiction plays a big role in crime and types of crimes that are being committed. NightTrain456
I would have to agree with Sheriff Asbell in the fact that I don’t believe there is a crime wave. Are there areas that have seen a higher crime rate over the span, yes but nationally and over all the crime has gone down or stayed at a fairly level percentage. The fact that violent crimes between 1990 – 2015 dropped by 37 percent and the over-all amount of violent crime went down 51 percent shows and supports this idea. Also, helping support Asbells article is that murders over the same time frame have gone down by 37 percent in absolute terms, and the exact rate being half of what it was just 25 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the FBIs UCR shows that Peroia with a higher violent crime rate from 2015 to 2016 but drops in property crime. This is not the best but it is better than Chicago and Rockford. They used an example of Peoria having 325 violent crimes per 100,000 persons compared to 503 per 100,000 for Chicago and 836 per 100,000 in Rockford. Asbell goes on to say that Peoria north of Ill. Route 40 and past Route 150 are not immune to crime and that these areas should be looked at in an absence of crime. Looking at the county as a whole data reports show that from 2015 through the begging of 2017 property crimes and crimes against people fluctuating, in both former burglary of cars and of residences. Along with this Theft and arson are also down from 2016.
Overall, Asbells idea that there is no crime wave is correct. And I believe that he is taking the right approach as to trying to help detainees and to try and figure out the causes verses trying to stop crime in general.
Country456
I support this view. So many people are hyped over a fictitious crime wave. We are sending people's fear of crime high as the roof and messing with qualities of life issues - like being afraid to go to a supermarket at 1am because we fear boogie men/ladies.....Justsaying345
DeleteI do agree with you and Sheriff Asbell and believe a crime wave doesn't exist. All this is doing is making people scared if crimes go up in an area. All that can really mean if crime goes up in a certain area is more patrolling. I also agree that it is better to help detainees to help figure out causes instead of stopping it in general and making it harder. It also says most crimes have gone down overall in the state which shouldn't make people freak out as much crime being bad. those main crimes are car burgleries, residential, arson, and theft which use to be the higher rated crimes in the country. Cavsfan123
DeleteI agree when we look at the bigger picture of more than just ten years we can see that the number of violent crimes is decreasing, but most of the people who say that crime is on the rise are only looking from year to year and not ten years ago. I think that Sheriff Asbell is correct also because he is trying to get the detainees back out into society so they can get normal jobs and pay their own bills, but some prisons just want the prisoners to come back, so that the government can give them money.
DeleteIllini456
I am so happy that they got the program going to help inmates. Many jails do not do so, in fact as Dr. White said it class the other day only a few hundred have their special program that Peoria County jail does; including doctors of multiple different kinds, teachers etc. So we may have crime in our city like all cities do of course, but I agree with you that it has not increased and the law enforcement in Peoria is doing a wonderful job. Rugby_456
DeleteI agree with everything you said, i really wanted to put some of the numbers in my post but i was not really sure how to word them with out quoting it. The way you worded the numbers in your post was really well written. I am anxious to see what really happens with Asbell as our new sheriff Thunder456
DeleteI also have to agree that I am glad that they have instilled programs to aid inmates. It seems too often that we throw people in jail and make no attempt to help them. I understand that not all criminals can be helped, but the cost to help one inmate versus housing one inmate varies greatly. I do wish that the number of violent crimes would drop more than it has, but any crime decrease is better than none. I would say I don't believe Peoria has gotten worse, I believe the hype of a "crime wave" is nothing more than a way to get people to become more vigilant. I believe that Asbell is headed toward the right path, and he's the person that this county has needed.
DeleteLowAndSlow456
After reading the article and seeing what Sheriff Asbell had to say I agree that we do not have a crime rate; not just in the Peoria area but also nationally. If we look at the UCR we can see that there may be certain areas that have rose from the past years, but those crimes have not rose as much as some of the others have fallen. The crimes that have rose over the years are mostly property crimes, which is alot better than having murder, rape or robbery rates rising every year. When Sheriff Asbell says his jail has dropped the average number of detainees in seven years I agree that it would have to be because of the programs that we are starting to teach to our youth and we are able to help certain people before they commit the crime. I agree with Asbell also when he says that crime has a lot to do with poverty; if we do not have rehab programs in prison or we do not offer the prisoners a chance to possibly get their GED then when they get released from prison and are unable to find a job that actually pays well most of them will turn back to a life of crime and just go back into the system, because they know it is better in jail than out on the streets. People also think that we have a crime wave because of drugs, but that is not something that is really on the high rise. If we do start to arrest more people for drugs, then we need to start setting up more programs in prison for drug rehab, so when they get released they do not have the itch to go back out and keep buying and doing.
ReplyDeleteIllini456
I have to agree with you on this. The fact that we have started applying better programs to help educate our youth and our inmates has made an impact on this as well. not only has it helped with lowering the return of paroles but it also helps crime rates as well. It does this because if the people that are getting out are not returning to crime then less crime accures. I believe as long as we continue to improve and work with inmates and youth criminals that our chances of bettering our communities will continue to keep raising. The fact that we are educating them also impacts the crime rates because if the inmates that are released and able to go into the work force they are not returning back to crime to provide for themselves or their families and this helps lower the rates.
DeleteCountry456
Some of the crime rate has dropped just due to the fact we now have certain programs to help inmates. Now in some prisons inmates can actually get their GED inside of prison and they are able to complete many other programs which makes it more likely that they will not go back to jail compared to those who do not have these programs offered to them. We all see and know that these programs help keeps crime rate down and also helps inmates become a productive member of society so I believe we should place more programs in prisons and jails. Latte456
DeleteYour statements about UCR crime statistics in Peoria County aren't entirely correct. Property crimes have actually decreased in frequency from 2014 to 2015, with the exception of Arson, and violent crimes have actually increased. Criminal Homicide has increased 100%, Rape is up 14.28%, Robbery is also up 14.28%, and Aggravated Battery/Assault is up 33.33%. As for property crimes: Burglary is down 16.32%, Theft is down 0.77%, Motor Vehicle Theft is down 3.03%, and Arson is the exception with a 100% increase. The reason I don't like using the UCR for determining crime rates in different areas is that it's too broad. Sure, Peoria County had an increase of 100% in criminal homicide. That sounds like a lot. The actual statistic, though, is an increase from zero criminal homicides in 2014 to one criminal homicide in 2015. The trends are similar for the other categories. The increases or decreases are marginal at best, but anyone can make it sound like Peoria has a problem with murdering arsonists by saying that there was a 100% increase in both categories over a period of one year. The UCR doesn't actually elaborate on the different crimes being committed. We don't know if that one criminal homicide was First Degree Murder, Involuntary Manslaughter, or Drug-Induced Homicide. All of which have vastly different mens rea and actus reus.
Delete-TheTurk456
I do agree that mostly property crimes are the one that are rising which is a lot better than crimes against person (murder, rape, assault) over the years. I believe that the programs that they have in Peoria County Jails to teach the youths and educate the detainees are working for a reason that the number of average detainees in jail in the past seven years has dropped. I think that if we continue programs like this to get them be a better citizen, we will see that crime rates will not go up like before and seeing them not to commit the same crime when they got released. -M.Scott456
DeleteI do believe that television, newspapers, social media make a huge impact on people's beliefs and opinions on things that go on in this world; especially others opinions and statements on law enforcement. Since this world is so insane, people blow things out of the water and sometimes make assumptions in what happens in certain situations. When people overhear or see what other assumptions are, they may belief that those are actual facts before looking more into things. People in today's society love to make assumptions, gossip on what happens around us and act as if they know it all. Unfortunately because of that, law enforcement get a rep that they do not do their job correctly, and stereotypes are made worse on citizens around town. And it's not just in Peoria, but nationally. Crime is not increasing, but decreasing all over America. Situations may seem terrible. For an example, police that kill a young black, man. And that is all over the media. Or active shooter, we come to believe that our society is going to crap. In many ways it is, but our crime rate is not apart of that; especially violent crime. One example to help prove my point, one year it might say a city's crime is 30% crime. Then the next year it doubles. Because of those statistics, they think the city has gone mad and it is time to buckle down and move. But that just isn't always the case. Say there was a drunken husband/father, and he decides to kill his family of 5 one night. That is going to increase statistics tremendously, especially in a small town. It may be easy to fall into gossip, and others beleifs. But it is important to look into things before believing anything. Crime rate has decreased, for many reasons. Rugby_456
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to what I was thinking about how people get way to caught up in the excitement of crime. It's a hot topic and it affects everybody and so when something big happens like a shooting everyone blows it out of proportion. Now something like a mass shooting should not be taken lightly but just because some guy lost is mind and went off killing people does not mean the whole nation is going to crap and in 5 years it's gonna be like Mad Max. I agree with you that today a lot of people like to think they know it all without putting in the research and it's funny how if everyone could just spend a couple hours reading some articles on crime rates they would understand things aren't
Deleteas bad as the media would make it seem.
-CoffeeAddict456
After having used the UCR, NIBRS, and the NCVS as references for my posts and upcoming papers, I'm becoming increasingly wary of the UCR. According to the Crime in Illinois 2015 publication by the Illinois State Police (which is the data which the UCR receives from Illinois), Peoria County had an increase in criminal homicide of 100%. Having heard that, you'd think Peoria has a major problem with criminal homicide. If you actually read the numbers, though, you'll find that in 2014, Peoria County had no homicides, and in 2015 we had one. We also had a 100% increase in Arson, but the statistics show that the difference is only of 4 offenses. The reason for my distrust of the UCR, then, is caused by it being too broad. We don't know if that homicide was First Degree Murder of Involuntary Manslaughter. We don't know if it was gang-related or a result of prolonged domestic abuse or if Anthony Hopkins is off his rocker and really thinks that he's Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. The NIBRS elaborates a bit more on crime, but we really need a properly comprehensive database on crime in order to fully understand the crime situations in different communities. Crime rates are down substantially compared to the 1980s and 1990s. The difference, though, is that unlike the 80s and 90s, media is much faster to learn of events and much faster to report on them. Media sources also have much more manpower and utilities at their disposal. Take the recent bombings in London, for example. The BBC started reporting on them within fifteen minutes of the events taking place. I don't think the problem is with the crime rates increasing, they aren't. I think the problem is with media reporting more frequently, more rapidly, and more in-depth on criminal occurrences.
ReplyDelete-TheTurk456
What stood out to me in this article was Asbell says “It can become a crime of survival” of course i looked at this statement and had no clue what he meant. But as i continued to read I realized that he was completely correct. He says that if no one can find a decent paying job that they will resort back to stealing things and selling drugs to make fast cash. He says they have a program called “Job partnership” it teaches them basics such as how to apply for jobs, how to dress and how to be dependent on. This is a great program for offenders and youth because it helps them learn things that maybe they were never taught. It also lets them know that there are people out there who wants to help them become productive member of society. Another thing that stood out for me was they mental health illness situation. I think it is great that the acknowledge that many people who come into jail do have a mental illness or even a drug addiction and needs the help. I feel as if we do not help these illness or drug addiction they will be right back in jail because they cannot get over these addictions by themselves. I feel as though we should be doing more in order to help these people out, because most of the time these people do want to be productive members of society they just don't have the tools or the support that they need. Latte456
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Mr. Asbell because it is common, also if people do not feel accepted by the society, or workforce it is hard for them to find jobs. I think he is trying to realize the issues of crime from the criminal's point of view. Someone always told me if you want to catch a criminal you must think like a criminal. I think in a way this is what Mr. Asbell is doing but he is using this same concept in a different aspect, to indeed stop crime which is very clever and I applaud him for his efforts. McBrightyalife456
DeleteI agree that most offenders deserve a second chance at trying to get a job and become an every day citizen but unfortunately they don't get treated as such and they give up because they think that no one would want to hire a criminal so they continue their criminal behavior just as you stated. More resources need to be available for them to help them from re-offending and the crime rates would decrease.
Delete-PizzaLover456
I also agree that most offenders and I've pretty much said that in every response we've had to do. I believe this because you never truly understand why someone is incarcerated and what led them to that point which is sad especially when there are prisons that do not even offer rehabilitation. But the outcome does not come out as that because a lot of people do not like or enjoy ex criminals and things like that for business which makes sense but just is not fair.
Deleteswaggyy456
I agree with Sheriff Asbell, I don't think there is a crime wave. Just look at the UCR,you can see can see that there are be some areas that have rose from the past years, but those crimes have not drastically risen as much as others have lowered. Sheriff Asbell says his jail has dropped the average number of detainees in seven years, and because we have certain programs that teach inmates to correct their behavior and allow them to get a GED I would have to agree because it you put the resources in their hands to do better they will become better people.
ReplyDeleteTJGirl456
DeleteI agree that crime rate has decreased in Peoria although it doesn't seem like it because the media plays a different role in said situations. I think more resources need to be made available for offenders and even people who are leaving in poverty because they don't always have access to such things like most people do. Offering more help is a good way to decrease crime rates and to help offenders to not become a repeat offender.
Delete-PizzaLover456
I would have to say after reading this article I think that sheriff Asbell is a probably one of the best sheriffs for Peoria he saw that in 2010 our average of detainees was at 550 now they are at about 350. The main factors he says to this is the increase of officers into the force so in other words he has increased our police officer count while lowering our amount of crimes in Peoria. I would also have to agree with Asbell when he says that jail population is a very good indicator of crime in the area because if our jails are full that means there is lots of crime and if they are empty there is either no crime or no one being caught so it is kind of a yes and no sort of thing yes it can tell the crime rate or how much crime there but it is not always 100% accurate there could be just less officers or they are in the wrong areas of the city they are looking where there is no crime compared to where it is full of crime in a city. I would also have to agree with John Gramlich when he said population and economic conditions can factor or influence the crime rates because if people are poor they are more likely to steal to make money or try to sell the stuff for potential drugs and the population factor could just cause all kinds of issues people fighting over land or people fighting because there are too many people in the area. So all of the crime rates that are different in areas all just kind of depend on so many different factors it’s hard to say what is causing all the crime in cities.
ReplyDeleteCarlBaconWho456
I definitely agree that Asbell may be one of the best sheriffs for Peoria County. You can tell that he is not in his position for the money, he has to have a passion for Criminal Justice to say the things he did. I think a lot of the times people in power are so stuck in their own ways, and how life should be lived that they don't see things from others point of view. You can tell that Mr. Asbell realizes that everyone is not given a fair chance to succeed in society because he working to improve that issue. I think he will succeed in his approach in reform and hope nothing for the but the best in his efforts to do so ! McBrightyalife456
DeleteAfter reading the article and a lot of responses I do believe Asbell is a great sheriff for Peoria County. Not being from here I did not have any knowledge of what was truly happening in this city years before but after living here I understand what Asbell means when he states in the article that most of Peoria crimes are due to poverty. I also believe he is working towards the issue to give everyone fairness and I think it is working in his favor since the crime rate has gone down to 37 percent.
Deleteswaggyy456
I have learned a lot from this article, but even more from the responses of my classmates. I do believe that Sheriff Asbell is the type of sheriff that Peoria County needs. Asbell really won me over when the article talked about how he wants to use money. He realizes that all people arrested in Peoria are not just criminals. He knows that poverty is affecting crime. He knows that locking everybody up won't work, so instead he insists on rehabilitating people. I also believe that crime can decrease more if Asbell continues what he is doing.
DeleteLowAndSlow456
I do agree that Sheriff Asbell is one of the best sheriffs for Peoria County. He has the passion and care for the community and to the detainees. The decrease of average detainees from 550 in 2010 to 350 detainees now means that the Peoria County Jail is doing something that is making at impact not just to the number of detainees but also to the county and citizens. I believe that the decrease in jail population is because of the programs that they have which is working. I’d like to see more of Sheriff Asbell upcoming program and idea for Peoria County Jail. -M.Scott456
DeleteThe new sheriff Brian Asbell seems as if he is a great person, and definitely cares about whether the crime rate is increasing or decreasing. You can tell because after serving as a sheriff for five weeks the Peoria County Board committee picked him to complete Mike McCoy's term. I think his formidable tests to test his leadership will be very challenging but with his attitude, it shouldn't be impossible. He will be faced with budgeting, community relations, serving the mental health needs of the jail population, as well as coping with crime. It's a good look on the county jail that the violent crimes have declined by 37 percent, and that murder and property crimes have decreased as well. I think that 60 percent to 84 percent of people believe crime is higher than a year ago because the media makes things bigger than what it actually is, and its probably because a lot of crimes go unreported as well. Asbell states that there is no crime wave in Peoria and I agree, as he stated most crimes are still tied to poverty, and drugs. I think Peoria is way better off then other cities and even states. The article provide proof of this by stating Peoria has about 325 violent crimes per 100,000 city residents, compared to 503 per 100,000 in Chicago and 836 peer 100,000 in Rockford. It also demonstrates this by the size of the prison population. In 2010 the jail's average was 550 detainees, now it is 350. He believes factors such as fewer officers, prosecutors initiative, and programs like "Don't Shoot contributed to these numbers. I think it is so good that Asbell is looking to work with faith based groups, job partnerships, character education, and employment programs. It may not be an easy task for him to pull off but I think all prisons across America should follow his example. He is willing to do whatever it takes whether it be going to schools,or talking to parents. He is going that extra mile which needs to be done by someone who holds so much authority. I love his approach on focusing on the causes, preventing crime, and treating detainees. I can not wait to see what he has in store for Peoria County and wish him the best of luck in his efforts to do so. McBrightyalife456
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement completely. Even though I'm not really familiar with the Peoria area because I'm from Chicago but Sheriff Asbell is doing a great job with his determine attitude to make the city of Peoria better. I also agree with you about the things he's going to face but of course he can do it with the attitude he has. Another thing that stood out and you stated was how Asbell is looking forward to have job partnerships and other forms of help and programs for people in need. Overall Brain Asbell will be a great fit for the city of Peoria. Savage456
DeleteI think as crime increases one year and decreases the next, people will always worry about crime. I think as McMcoy left and Asbell took over it was probably a great idea. Asbell is in his position for many reasons and clearly McMcoy and the three man Peoria County committee board thought highly of him to put him in his position as he left. When I normally think of Asbell in his positon I just think of they jail so I found it interesting that he is now in charge of 175 employees and additional contract workers plus volunteers that cover the in's and out's of the county. It was nice to know that Asbell exceeds in leadership, budgeting, community relations, and serving the mental health needs in jail populations along with helping cope with the crimes that are out there. Another thing I found interesting that I did not know was that Asbell worked his way up to his position as he was once a corrections officer, jail sergeant, patrol, and detective at one point. When Asbell quotes "in Peoria, crime has a lot to do with poverty," I agree with him. But how he explained it made it seem okay with saying that as people would take that differently from hearing it. He explains that they are working with a faith based group with the detainees that never got to have that kind of help. I like that it helps them and changes their self-worth so they can change and make a difference. I think Asbell will continue up his great work and make changes forever as he has been doing.
ReplyDeleteunknownzeeha456
I agree with sheriff Asbell that there really is not a crime rate. Crime is all over the united states. As it says in the article that crime rates have decreased over the years. so, this tells you that there really is not a specific time that crime is higher or not. I think that it is a great idea that sheriff Asbell is talking about having the ex-inmates work in different types of programs so that these people do not end up where they were, committing crimes hoping that they will not get caught. As Asbell says that a lot of the crimes in Peoria are poverty crimes, I would say that I agree with him, some of these people are stealing food and other things just so that they can provide for their families. For Asbell to consider these different programs for these folks to work in I feel is a very good decision. By communication with these individual’s businesses and talking to the prisoners like they are a real human being, I feel is going to lift these people up. By doing this it is making them less likely to commit more crimes, so that they can support their families. Peoria is known to be the biggest mental-health provider around here. “McCoy noted that 90 percent of jail detains needed addiction mental-health treatment, and Asbell helped get the Peoria County Jails medical unit accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in 2012.” They are currently working on an application to help discharge planning. Sheriff Asbell says “I’m looking at the county across the board,” he says. “I don’t see any spike in crime.” I really enjoyed reading this article, and learning the things that sheriff Asbell is planning to do with Peoria. -Thunder456
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, that’s good to know that crime rates in Peoria have significantly decreased. It seems as if the property and murder crime rates have decreased although people would argue differently about the crime rates decreasing, some would say they have increased but looking at the statistics shown, only about 325 crimes are violent per 100,000 residents. That isn’t that bad, although we can always shoot for better. Most of the crimes that are committed seem to be correlated with poverty, that seems to play a huge role in these offenders and repeat offenders. Offenders need to be offered more help and I think that is a main issue that needs to be focused on. It seems like more and more people suffer from drug addictions and mental health issues and can’t seem to get the proper help that they need. Rehabilitations need to be more of an option for offenders to prevent them becoming a repeat offender. I don’t think these issues are taken very seriously as they should be. If more sources were offered to low class people and the people in prison/jail then I’m sure there would be a decrease in criminal activity. I think Sheriff Asbell is someone that this community needs because it seems to really care and understand what offenders need and ways to decrease or prevent potential crime from happening. I like that he is very engaged with the community and the surrounding areas.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover456
After reading this article, that’s good to know that crime rates in Peoria have significantly decreased. It seems as if the property and murder crime rates have decreased although people would argue differently about the crime rates decreasing, some would say they have increased but looking at the statistics shown, only about 325 crimes are violent per 100,000 residents. That isn’t that bad, although we can always shoot for better. Most of the crimes that are committed seem to be correlated with poverty, that seems to play a huge role in these offenders and repeat offenders. Offenders need to be offered more help and I think that is a main issue that needs to be focused on. It seems like more and more people suffer from drug addictions and mental health issues and can’t seem to get the proper help that they need. Rehabilitation needs to be more of an option for offenders to prevent them becoming a repeat offender. I don’t think these issues are taken very seriously as they should be. If more sources were offered to low class people and the people in prison/jail then I’m sure there would be a decrease in criminal activity. I think Sheriff Asbell is someone that this community needs because it seems to really care and understand what offenders need and ways to decrease or prevent potential crime from happening. I like that he is very engaged with the community and the surrounding areas.
-PizzaLover456
After reading this article I agree with sheriff Asbell. I also think that the board committee made a great decision by picking him. As stated in the article I like the fact that sheriff Asbell has several formidable tests to his leadership such as: budgeting, community relations, serving the mental-health needs of the jail population and coping with crime. I think these are all good things even though his employees are like arresting some people for crimes but he still trying to help them with mental-health issues while in jail. Another thing that’s good is he’s trying to budget to help out the city and community. A good thing that stood out is that violent crime had decreased by 37 percent and the murder and property jails decreased also. Furthermore Asbell made a valid point when he stated”there’s no crime wave in Peoria but most crimes are still tied to poverty and drugs. This shows you that whatever Asbell is doing to help prevent serious crimes is working and that gives a good look on him and why he deserves the position he has now. Even though the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Report has statistics for the City of Peoria that show an increase in violent crime from 2015 to 2016 but declines in property crime. Even though they had an increase Peoria numbers were still better than Chicago and Rockford. Lastly, I agree with Asbell when he says,” In Peoria crime has a lot to do with poverty” and what stood out the most was when he said “It can become a crime of survival.” What I got from that saying as I continue to read was basically he wanted to him the ones who committing crimes due to the fact of that “job partnership” that teaches basics. To conclude, I completely agree with sheriff Asbell with this article. I’m not from the Peoria area but I’m glad they have some like Brain Asbell to take control and and have a positive leadership to the community. savage456
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article on what Sheriff Ashbell had to say I agree with him. He in my opinion portrayed himself as a good, kind-hearted person and I respect that therefore I believe the committee made a good decision for the community by choosing him. While reading the article one thing that truly stood out to me was the fact that he has so many formidable tests that proves he is a good person for this job which include his many community relations, smart budgeting that helps the community, and his want to help with mental disease in jails to help with the rates and wanting to help people cope with crime these different actions just prove how great his leadership skills are and how much he wants to step up to the plate. Living in Springfield you do not see a lot of violent crimes but this summer we had more than normal and they were crimes dealing with people close to my age and like I said living in Springfield this is abnormal which means the entire city did not know how to react even one of the first crimes that happened this summer the SWAT team was immediately called because the city was not used to it but seeing how Sheriff Ashbell already helped decrease crime by 37 percent shows that everyone needs to take the same leadership skills as him in order to help keep down crime rates and to keep a lot more people safe. I understood Sheriff Ashbell when he said a lot of crimes are related to drugs and poverty which I believe is one of the main problems across the nation. But I agree with him when he says a lot of the crime in Peoria has to deal with poverty because just living here I remember first saying how I did not see many nice neighborhoods like I do in Springfield and it honestly was a new thing for me.
ReplyDeleteswaggyy456
I agree with you on how he portrayed himself. He seems to be dedicated to his job, love what he does, and wants to make a difference. I also like how you an example of living in Springfield, it was really an eye opener for me to see that not all cities have people believing that crime was happening everywhere. I do believe that drug and poverty crimes are the main problem across the nation as well. If you are a part of a low income family, growing up in a bad neighborhood, you turn to drugs.
Delete-Bears456
After reading this article, I believe that I agree with Sheriff Asbell. I don't think there has been an increase in crime or a larger crime wave. As stated, crime has decreased 37% between 1990 and 2015. Murder alone was said to be down around half of what it used to be. Although I am not the most informed about the matters, I did find a quote by Asbell to be incredibly accurate. Asbell states that crime has a lot to do with poverty. It seems property crime and burglary are a factor as people are committing crimes to stay alive. As he states, it's a crime of survival. I have to applaud the Sheriff for making the moves that are actually needed. Detainees and Parolees need rehabilitation. If we don't help the people who are committing crimes just to live, then we are forcing the recidivism rates to increase. I think that Asbell is on the right track, as the UCR is not what we need to be looking at, we need to focus on what is happening in Peoria.
ReplyDeleteLowAndSlow456
After reading this article I would have to agree with Sheriff Asbell that there is not a crime wave. I think he is the best thing that could have happened for Peoria County. The crime rate has gone down and I believe it is from them outing programs inside of jails, prisons, and even the juvenile delinquency centers. The programs help them better themselves, so when they are finally released they will not go back to “what they know.” These programs could benefit them in more ways than one. Just think about all the juveniles behind bars. If they have a long sentence, look at how much schooling they are missing out on. It is a lot and you miss out on learning basic stuff that will help you in society once you get out. All because crime went up from one year to the next does not mean there is a lot of crime happening in that area. 37 percent of violent crimes has decreased in 1990 to 2015. Murder rates are exactly half of what they used to be. People tend to think that since the jails and prisons are full of inmates that crime is happening all the time, but people forget that you have some locked away 10-20 years for marijuana which is about to be legal in all states. To me, that is not a crime. McCoy noted for years that 90 percent of prisoners needed addiction or mental health treatment. What gets me is that if you not that 90 percent of them need help, why aren’t you doing anything to get them the help they need?
ReplyDelete-Bears456
After reading this article Sheriff Asbell was the right pick fro the job you can really see he cares and has a heart for his job. He has made an impact in communities and fundraising for all around peoria. With him being a such a good person it really helps cops and guard get a job. I don't believe there was been an increase in crime because the statistics show that 37% has decreased from 1990 to 2015 so its proven to be a decrease in the crime wave. Stated in the article peoria has the most poverty crimes like break in's, robberies and etc. Inmates need help and sheriff Asbell has agreed saying that they need to have rehabilitation so they don't have the same cycle and come back to jail. This is a very good article to read and to see what sheriff Asbell is going to do for the community of peoria and how he's going to make it a better place. With Asbell in charge the city of peoria is in good hands. but Asbell is going to change peoria for the good and thats the sheriff that we need in peoria.
ReplyDeleteShak456
I agree with the sheriff that crime has steadily been dropping and I bet everyone would to if they would stop listening to the media and just look at some statistics. I have been a criminal justice major for almost a year and a half now and every single time I bring up crime rates and that they have been dropping since the 60's everyone is always surprised and some don't believe me. Part of it I think is that people get caught up in the excitement of crime and the thought that it's just rampant throughout the country but I have no evidence to back that up just a personal opinion. I think it's great that Peoria is on of the biggest mental health providers and that this sheriff understand that improving the mental health of inmates can lead to lower recidivism rates.
ReplyDelete-CoffeeAddict456
After reading this article, I agree and believe with what Sheriff Asbell said that despite some statistics, there is no crime wave in Peoria and across the county. FBI’s UCR statistics compared City of Peoria with 325 violent crimes per 100,000 city residents, to 503 per 100,000 in Chicago and 836 per 100,000 in Rockford, which is not an ideal number but better than the two. True that there is an area that is not immune from crime like north in ill. Route 40 and west on U.S Route 150 which should be looked at in the absence of crime. Mostly over the years, the crime that goes up in Peoria was property crimes, which is better than crimes against people like murder, rape, and assault. A lot of those crimes have a lot to do with poverty which turns to be a crime survival because they can’t find a job, especially those ex-offenders who go back to do what they do. According to Asbell, in 2010 the jail had an average of 550 detainees and is now down to about 350, which I think is good. This means fewer people doing crimes. I think the reason that the number of detainees is down is because of the programs they are introducing inside the Peoria County Jail. A program like Jobs Partnership that trains and teaches detainees how to apply for a job, how to dress and be dependable. A program that provides mental-health providers to those people who need help. What I like about this program is that the Peoria County Jail’s medical unit is accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care which requires not minimal but best practices. I believe the idea of treating the detainees and trying to focus on the causes rather than stopping the crime, in general, was the right approach. But despite such efforts and reassurance, some will be concerned. -M.Scott456
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with sheriff Asbell throughout this article. He made a statement that stood out to me. He said “much of that concern is an example of belief versus reality.” Which I think is really true many people believe that crime is high right now and that is their belief. In reality violent crimes have decreased by 37 percent, and murders are also down 37 percent. I agree with sheriff Asbell when he says that there is not a crime wave in Peoria and that most of the crimes that are committed are tied to poverty and drugs. That makes perfect sense when you start to think of it that way. The uniform crime reported that Peoria has 325 violent crimes per 100,000 people which is a lot lower than other major cities in Illinois which to me is a good indication that crime is decreasing in the area. The information that stood out to me the most from this article was the amount of detainees that the jail had. According to the article in 2010 the jail had around 550 detainees and now the jail has around 200 less with 350 detainees. Sheriff Asbell credits programs put in place such as “Don't shoot” and others to why the numbers have seen a decrease. I agree with sheriff Asbell when we says that jail population is a good indicator of crime in the area. If you think about it if you have low jail population than that should prove that less crimes are being committed. Though the jail population is just one factor in measuring crime and the rate sat which it is being committed, but does provide helpful information. I agree with sheriff Asbell again that drugs as well as addiction plays a big role in crime and types of crimes that are being committed.
ReplyDeleteNightTrain456